Roses as Red as Blood
by Lady Lightwood
Summary: Little one-shot about Enjolras and Eponine. Eponine loves roses and rain. Enjolras doesn't realize this until it's too late. This is obviously AU, but I really do love this pair. Please R&R!


_Disclaimer__**:**__ This is fanfiction. I don't own __Les Misérables__._

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><p>She was head over heels in love with Marius. Wasn't she?<p>

But after seeing how happy he was with Cosette and how much he truly loved her, Éponine's love for Marius started to diminish. She couldn't bring herself to love him again. She still went to the meetings of Les Amis. Even if she did not love him, she still liked his companionship.

Éponine had met every member of Les Amis, all of them rather and secretly impressed that a girl would want to join their ranks. Even the great Apollo himself, Enjolras had admired her.

However, the first time she had seen him was when she had told Marius where Cosette had lived. Their eyes had met for a minute, but then Enjolras had turned away and Éponine slipped out into the cold night.

For once the cold did not get to her, all she could think about was the gaze of the golden-haired boy that was cold as marble, but warmed once he saw her.

For his part, Enjolras could not get the ragged brunette girl out of his mind. It eventually led to teasing from his fellow revolutionaries. Despite his protests that Patria was his one true love, Enjolras started to feel another part to love.

The next time he saw the girl was when she started to come to their meetings. He suspected that it was more to be with Marius than to actually support the revolution in the making.

He caught Marius' arm as the young man was leaving.

"Marius, who is she?" he demanded.

"Éponine? She's a friend. She helped me find Cosette" Marius' eyes lit up as he said Cosette's name an Enjolras barely suppressed an eye roll. At least Marius was not in love with Éponine.

Enjolras made his way home that night, completely deep in thought about something that was not France for once. He failed to notice the dark, slim figure slipping along in the shadows.

Éponine did not fail to notice the golden haired man walking through the streets, mindlessly walking through puddles. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself and pictured Enjolras wrapping his arms around her.

"And all I see…is him and me…forever and forever…" she murmured.

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><p>Enjolras and Éponine could not get each other out of their minds. The next few meetings, Enjolras consciously avoided Éponine, deathly afraid of looking like an idiot in front of her.<p>

And Éponine blushed every time he looked at her. Courfeyrac was the only one who noticed her blushes and asked her about it. Éponine had just stubbornly shook her head and Courfeyrac noting Enjolras' awkwardness around the young woman, had wisely said nothing more.

The night before the rebellion, Éponine had been among the last to leave. Enjolras had caught her wrist just as she stepped out. He was startled by the look of fear that flashed through her eyes.

"I won't hurt you," he promised, immediately releasing her wrist and stepping back.

She stared at him distrustfully for a moment, still rubbing where his hand had been on her skin. After a tense moment her face softened and she slowly reached up with one slim hand. Had it been anyone else, Enjolras would have shied from the touch.

However, he stood still as she slowly wrapped her hand around the back of his neck. Almost without knowing it, Enjolras bent forward, his hand immediately cupping her cheek, bringing their lips together.

They pulled apart after a minute and Enjolras swore he saw the stars in her eyes. He bent his head and they stood for what seemed like hours, the cold rain trailing down their backs. Both oblivious to everything else in the world except for each other.

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><p>Enjolras was often oblivious to many things. The night of the barricade was no exception at all. He never saw Éponine until she pressed her hand over the musket the guard held, taking the bullet.<p>

Without thinking, Enjolras immediately shot the guard, the other man's body tumbling back down the side of the barricade.

He caught Éponine as she gasped and crumpled into his arms. He carried her down the barricade, cradling her in his arms. Sometime her hat had fallen off and now her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders.

Enjolras knelt, still with Éponine in his arms. She smiled up at him, a flash of pain slipping across her face before a beatific smile spread across her face.

"Don't you fret Monsieur Enjolras," she murmured.

"Hush, Éponine" he soothed. He could see by the amount of scarlet red staining her coat and blouse that she would not survive. For the first time in years, the mighty Apollo wanted to cry.

"Rain" Éponine lifted her hand up, "it'll make the flowers grow..." she drew off, a small smile playing upon her lips. Enjolras could feel the saltiness of his tears running down his face and mixing with the rain.

"Red flowers. They're my…favorite. Roses" Éponine's voice grew fainter and Enjolras gathered her closer. She pushed herself up with the rest of her strength. Enjolras seemed to know what she wanted and bent, pressing a kiss against her already cold lips. He gently carried her body into the tavern and laid it on the table, gently brushing back a strand of her hair. As he stared at her face for one last time, Enjolras watched a single tear slip down his cheek and splash onto Éponine's cold one. He wished he had known about Éponine's love of roses and rain. He would've bought her a red rose.

He walked out of the tavern, head up as he stared at the stars glimmering like tears so far away in the dark face of the sky.

Hours later, when the fight was done and just he and Grantaire were left standing, Enjolras thought of Éponine and dark red roses. There had been so much red that day, roses and blood, and flags.

Enjolras raised the scarlet flag in one last act of defiance and rebellion as the bullets pierced his body. His eyes closed as he fell back across the broken barricade, the red flag spilling across him like blood.

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><p><strong>Okay, I just wanted to write this! :) Please read and review if you feel so inclined.<strong>


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